What is a hysterectomy?

The surgical procedure to remove a woman’s uterus, which is also known as their womb, is called a hysterectomy. Once this is done, the woman will not have any more menstrual periods and will not be able to get pregnant. The reason for this procedure may be because of chronic pain conditions and because of cancer and infections like cancer in the uterus, chronic pelvic pain, serious infection on the reproductive organs called pelvic inflammatory disease, and even because of profuse vaginal bleeding. Usually, the whole of the uterus is taken out and the ovaries and the fallopian may also be removed too depending on the situation.

Treatment

There are different types of hysterectomy. A partial hysterectomy removes a part of the uterus, total hysterectomy removes the whole of the uterus along with the cervix, and hysterectomy and salpingo-oophorectomy remove the uterus with addition to one or both of the ovaries and fallopian tubes. The procedure can be done in multiple ways but in all of the types. The patient is given either general or local anesthetic to relax them during the surgery. The uterus can either be removed with an abdominal hysterectomy creating a large cut in the abdomen, a vaginal hysterectomy where the uterus is removed through a small cut in the vagina, or with a laparoscopic hysterectomy using the laparoscopic approach to take out the uterus.